1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter for abutting and connecting confronting optical cables, and more particularly to an adapter for abutting confronting optical cables, which are laid on a given printed circuit board, by applying a predetermined pressure to the end of each of the confronting optical cables.
2. Related Arts
A conventional optical cable connector comprises a split metal sleeve in which the terminal ferrules of the confronting optical cables are to be press-fitted by inserting them in the opposite ends of the sleeve, and a synthetic resin holder having the sprit metal sleeve held therein. The holder has catch pieces formed thereon for catching the plug frame of each ferrule.
The plug structure of each ferrule comprises a synthetic resin plug frame in which the ferrule is spring-biased and contained, and a rubber hood or thumb piece attached to the plug frame.
The conventional optical cable plug or connector has numerous parts to be assembled, and is complicated in structure. Also, it is large in size, and when it is required that an increased number of optical cables are mounted on a printed circuit board, almost intolerably large space is occupied in the limited area. As a recent tendency electronic and optical devices are mounted in a limited space at an increasing density, leaving a minimum space available for mounting optical cables.
Therefore, there has been an ever increasing demand for a small-sized, less complicated and less expensive adapter for optical cable connection.
One object of the present invention is to provide an optical cable connection adapter which is small in size, simple in structure and less expensive.
According to one aspect of the present invention an adapter for end-to-end abutting and connecting the ferrules of confronting optical cables, each ferrule having a collar at its rear end, comprises: a sleeve holder for containing a split sleeve in its inner space, the split sleeve having the ferrules of the confronting optical cables press-fitted therein, the sleeve holder having a center collar formed at its midpoint; and a holder for containing the sleeve holder along with the split sleeve with the sleeve holder caught by the center collar in the holder, the holder having resilient means fixed therein to grip the collars of the confronting ferrules, thereby pushing and pulling the confronting ferrules toward each other to retain the confronting optical cables in connecting position.
The holder may be a trough-like object having a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped cross section, comprising an elongated bottom and two opposite upright side walls, each having center notches formed at its midpoint to catch the center collar of the sleeve holder, and catch sections formed at its opposite ends to catch the engagement pieces of the resilient means, the elongated bottom of the holder having foot pieces integrally connected to its opposite ends.
The resilient means can grip the collars of the confronting ferrules to push and pull the confronting ferrules toward each other, thereby making the confronting ferrules to abut on each other in the split sleeve.
The resilient means may be adapted to be contained in the trough-like holder, which has catch means formed at the midpoint of each upright side wall, thus catching the collar of the sleeve holder to prevent the sleeve holder from moving upward and slipping apart from the holder, each side wall having windows at its opposite ends, thus permitting the engagement pieces of the resilient means to project outward from the windows of the side walls, the resilient means being allowed to be laid longitudinally on the inside each of the opposite side walls, extending from each end to the midpoint of each side wall, at which midpoint the center collar of the sleeve holder is positively held.
According to another aspect of the present invention an adapter for end-to-end abutting the ferrules of confronting optical cables, each ferrule having a collar at its rear end, is improved according to the present invention in that it comprises: a split sleeve in which the ferrules of the confronting optical cables are to be press-fitted; a holder for containing the split sleeve in its inner space; and resilient means which is to be caught and fixed in the holder to grip the collars of the confronting ferrules in the holder, thereby pushing the confronting ferrules toward each other to retain the confronting optical cables in connecting position.
With the arrangement described above the resilient means cooperates with the holder so that the ferrules of confronting optical cables may be positively pushed on each other within the split sleeve. Thus, the confronting optical cables are spring-biased to be retained in abutting condition all the time. The parts to keep the confronting optical cables abutting on each other include the split sleeve, the holder with or without the sleeve holder contained therein and the resilient means, requiring nothing else. Thus, a small-sized, light-weight and less-expensive adapter for optical connection may be provided. Still advantageously it requires a minimum occupation space. Thus, the mounting of optical cables on a printed circuit board is permitted even though numerous devices and parts have been already mounted thereon at an increased density.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of adapters for optical cable connection according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are shown in accompanying drawings.